The fallout of Sept. 11, 2001, has popularized several nationalistic buzzwords in the American lexicon — WMDs, spider hole, homeland security and shock and awe are just a few that come to mind.
Henry Rollins, a former member of influential punk band Black Flag and frontman for the Rollins Band, takes the latter term to the extreme with his spoken-word tour, titled “Shock and Awe My Ass,” which will be making a stop Sunday evening at the Moore Theater.
“The name can be somewhat misleading,” said Rollins during a phone interview. “I took it from a pre-Iraq-invasion press conference where some general said, ‘We’re going to give them a light show like they’ve never seen.’ If we’re going to have a war that kills people, we should leave the bragging to the wrestlers and rap stars.”
Rollins has been labeled a punk-rock renaissance man. He has his own Comedy Central stand-up special, and has released spoken-word CDs, authored numerous books and appeared in films such as Johnny Mnemonic and more recently Bad Boys II.
Rollins uses current events from the past 12 to 15 months and incorporates stories from his life as a musician to generate material for his spoken-word shows.
Being on the road for a majority of the last 20 years as a musician has made Rollins comfortable with being on stage and has allowed him to make a name for himself on the spoken-word circuit.
“The stage has always been hallowed ground to me. It (spoken word) is similar to playing music except there is no backbeat or established formula,” said Rollins. “You only get one take with both.”
Some of Rollins’ most well-known anecdotes involve his encounter with the leader of Detroit punk pioneers The Stooges, Iggy Pop and his fake six-year love affair with Sheryl Crow.
Although Rollins has been working crowds with his material for several years, don’t expect two hours worth of “best of” material at his spoken-word performances.
“Anything that has been on TV or video, I usually won’t perform again because people have seen it already,” he said.
Rollins prefers to keep his shows fresh rather than rely on repeating his same bit night after night.
While he is gaining recognition for his spoken word, he still is known best for his career as a musician, most notably the video for the Rollins Band’s 1994 single “Liar,” an honest take on a dishonest relationship.
However, in the 10 years since the song’s release, Rollins has sparked his acting and spoken-word careers, but is still best known for “Liar.”
“I’m 43 years old, and I’ve been on stage for 20 years; I long ago gave up on trying to control the media’s portrayal of myself,” said Rollins.
Because he has done various other projects since 1994, Rollins is not phased by the public’s perception of his work.
“If that’s the only way someone knows me, then that’s not my fault,” he said.
